The implementation of the smoking ban this weekend has prompted an escalation in the movement to help people quit smoking.

To tie in with the beginning of the ban on smoking in most public places at 6am this Sunday, the NHS has developed an entire website devoted to people who want to give up the cigarettes.

If the thought of being sent outside for your nicotine fix doesn't appeal to you, here are some ways to quit:

Turn to your local shop

Some UK retailers such as Boots and Sainsbury's are offering help for people who want to give up smoking. Boots's commit to quit campaign offers one-on-one counselling and advocates the use of nicotine replacement therapy - using nicotine gum, patches or similar - to quit.

Some Sainsbury's stores are also offering free pharmacy consultations to help you wean yourself off cigarettes, but you'd better be quick: at this stage consultations are offered tomorrow and Sunday only.

Cold turkey

Popular theory defines "going cold turkey" as giving up something without any preparation. The advantage of the cold turkey method of giving up smoking is that it's free. Conventional wisdom suggests that cold turkey is one of the hardest ways to quit, and, therefore, one of the least successful. However, the American-based Whyquit website, which describes itself as "the internet's premier abrupt nicotine cessation destination" challenges this theory.

Look into my eyes

Hypnosis is another method for trying to quit, but can be expensive. Popular UK hypnotherapist Darren Marks says two or three sessions , at around £85 each, should see you over your addiction. But the NHS says there's no scientific evidence to prove hypnotherapy is successful.

Auricular therapy

Using the principles of reflexology, which uses pressure point massage to stimulate the body's energy flow, iQS therapy claims to have a 90% success rate. . The therapy begins with a 20-minute consultation before a small, gun-like contraption called a Reflection Instrument Scanning Electropulse device delivers a small electric charges to the ear.

...and if you can't quite give up

There are a few alternatives out there for the hard-core smoker who can't stand the thought being stuck for a few hours in a non-smoking environment.

Nicotine substitutes

There are a large number of nicotine substitutes on the market including chewing gums, patches, soluble tablets, nasal sprays, gels and even inhalators.

The "fashionable" inhaler

Some smokers, like Georgina Godwin and Rebecca Minnitt, found the conventional nicotine inhalators a bit ugly. So together they came up with the Nicopipe which they say looks like a "hand-held jewel". You can insert a nicotine cartridge into the pipe, then suck on it as you would a cigarette to get that familiar rush. And, of course, you'll be benefiting from Ms Godwin and Ms Minnitt's "sleek pipe design".

There are still a few hours to go

The ban does not come into force until 6am on 1 July, so you still have a precious few hours to puff away before facing the long arm of the law if you're caught breaking the rules.